


Stay.

by Mischel



Series: Merlin Rewatch 2020 [10]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Finds Out About Merlin’s Magic (Merlin), Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Episode: s01e10 The Moment of Truth, Gen, Good Morgana (Merlin), Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Morgana Knows about Merlin's Magic (Merlin), POV Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), POV Merlin (Merlin), it's Will don't worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:07:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24321793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mischel/pseuds/Mischel
Summary: Arthur and Morgana overhear Merlin's conversation with his mother, and after magic is used in the fight, they both realize that Merlin is a sorcerer. Despite not really wanting to, Arthur decides that Merlin should stay in Ealdor.Now it's Morgana's job to kick Arthur back to Ealdor to get their friend back. But that is not the only reason Arthur wants Merlin to stay with him.Set in the episode 1x10 The Moment of Truth.
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merlin Rewatch 2020 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1670389
Comments: 8
Kudos: 351





	Stay.

**Author's Note:**

> Another fic that would have been longer had I had more time to write it, but here I am, writing it anyway :D Well, enjoy! :)

_And if he doesn't accept me for who I really am, then he's not the friend I hoped he was._

Arthur had heard those words loud and clear.

He wasn't meant to hear them, he knew that, but he _did_ and he wasn't alone.

They had just returned from dinner, the villagers' cries of determination still echoing in Arthur's ears. Merlin had been the first to leave. Arthur and Morgana had followed with Gwen leaving the meeting shortly after them.

They could see her walking behind them, so they had decided to stop and wait for her by the door to Merlin's house.

Merlin was already inside.

And that was when they'd heard his words—quiet but meaningful.

Morgana's and Arthur's eyes met, both aware that they'd just heard something they shouldn't have. Neither of them had understood what Merlin meant at the time . . .

But now, staring at the pyre burning in front of them . . . Arthur had his answer.

Merlin had magic.

He was a _sorcerer._

"I'm sorry," Arthur said.

He really was.

"I know he was a close friend."

Merlin didn't look at him.

"He still is."

Arthur took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly. No matter what Will had said before he died, Arthur knew the truth about Merlin.

"You're a sorcerer," he simply stated. Most of the villagers had left the pyre already and the few that stayed, including Morgana, Gwen and Merlin's mother, were out of earshot. With a heavy feeling in his heart, Arthur continued. "That's what you were going to tell me?"

Still, Merlin didn't move. "Yes. It was."

Arthur nodded. "You know how dangerous magic can be." But Merlin wasn't dangerous. He wasn't- "You shouldn't have kept this from me."

Merlin was silent for a while, but Arthur could hear him breathe. In and out, faster than he would like.

"What are you going to do with me?"

Arthur could hear the tremble in Merlin's voice, no matter how hard he was trying to hide it.

He closed his eyes, clenched his fists.

_Whatever happens out there today, please don't think any differently of me._

_I won't._

"I think you should stay in Ealdor." The words burned on his tongue. "Your mother needs you."

With that, Arthur turned away from the only friend he'd ever really had and walked away from the pyre.

xoXÖXox

Merlin finally let his tears fall when Arthur left. He stood there, the pyre still burning bright as his tears continued to come.

_I've seen how much he needs you. How much you need him._

_You're like two sides of the same coin._

. . . it seemed they weren't after all.

xoXÖXox

"So tell me again, why isn't Merlin coming with us?"

For the third time since they'd left Ealdor Arthur turned to Morgana, his face full of hurt (he hoped she didn't see that) and annoyance. "It's like I told you! He wanted to stay with his mother to take care of her and help everyone after what's happened."

"And now tell me why I don't believe you?" Morgana rode her horse closer to him when the road got wider.

Arthur could _not_ take it when she stared at him so accusingly.

"I don't know, _Morgana,_ why don't you believe me?" He huffed, urging his horse to move faster.

The sooner he was in Camelot, the sooner he could forget about everything that had happened in Ealdor.

. . . And about Merlin.

"I'll tell you." She sounded so sure. "Right after we let the horses rest."

"But we've just-"

"And that's final."

Arthur was about to laugh at that and continue on his way to Camelot, but one look into Morgana's icy eyes and he knew that that would be the worst mistake of his life.

"Alright," he groaned, stopping the horse. "If you're _so_ tired after the fight," he looked at her, long enough to make sure that she heard the mockery in his voice, "we can take a break."

Morgana huffed and dismounted, tying her horse to a nearby tree. Once Arthur did the same, she forcefully grabbed his arm and smiled at Guinevere, "Gwen, watch the horses for us, please?" before dragging him away and out of earshot.

"What are you-"

"Hush"

Arthur was getting angry now. " _Morgana._ "

"Arthur!" She hissed at him, letting him go only when they were in a safe distance from what, Guinevere? "I can't believe you would do that to him!" She accused him almost immediately. "You know he's not dangerous, and you know he's our friend, then why would you order him to stay there?"

Arthur stared at her blankly. If she was suggesting she knew about Merlin's-

Morgana rolled her eyes. "Just because Merlin has magic, doesn't mean he deserves to stay behind, you know."

Arthur's eyes widened. "How did you-"

"I'm not stupid, Arthur," she simply explained. "I saw the wind. I saw Merlin's hand create it, and then I saw _you_ leave him there at the pyre, packing your things, and leaving without even saying goodbye to Hunith."

Arthur already felt guilty, he didn't need to feel even worse.

"And what was I supposed to do, huh?" He frowned. "Let him come back? He's a _sorcerer_ Morgana. And he's been lying t-"

"And you're surprised?" Morgana yelled. "You're Uther's _son._ You spend half the time yelling at him and the other half hunting down sorcerers on Uther's orders."

Arthur pursed his lips, his frown deepening. Morgana was right. Merlin was still Merlin, the idiot that had happened to become his servant (on his father's orders, at that), and most of all he was his only _friend._

Maybe even more than that, if Arthur would let himself admit it. When he'd heard Merlin tell Hunith that he worried about Arthur not accepting him, magic was the last thing on Arthur's mind. He- he'd thought . . . that maybe Merlin was like _him._

That maybe when they awoke that day, arms and legs tangled together on the hard floor, Arthur wasn't the only one who found it comfortable and wanted to stay in that moment with Merlin for the rest of the day.

But this, all of that . . . It didn't change the fact that magic was outlawed in Camelot and Arthur couldn't just lie to the king like that. It was against- well, everything he'd been taught. He couldn't just- he couldn't-

Morgana's hand suddenly appeared on his shoulder, as if sensing what was going through his head. Arthur wanted to shake her off, but he didn't.

"You're not the only one who'll miss him if he's not around," she confessed. Her words dug deep into Arthur's soul and instantly made him regret everything he'd said to Merlin at the pyre.

He _already_ missed him.

"I can't lie to the king," he said, weakly.

Morgana sighed but gave him a smile. "You won't have to be the only one."

She let go of his shoulder, searching in his eyes for an answer. When Arthur looked up, he nodded shortly. "Alright," he said. Morgana's smile widened. "But I wouldn't have missed him, I'm doing this purely for you," he added and raised his finger at her, making her laugh.

"I'm _sure_ that's the real reason," she smirked at him and turned around, guiding them back to Guinevere and their horses.

Arthur pretended he had no idea what she was getting at. But the warm feeling that spread through his chest when he thought about Merlin back with him in Camelot was enough of an answer to him.

(Morgana definitely wasn't the only reason they were coming back.)

xoXÖXox

It had barely been a few hours since Arthur, Gwen and Morgana had left Ealdor and Merlin was still sitting on a log near the forest.

The last time he sat there, it was with Will.

Who was now _gone_.

Merlin had left the pyre hours ago. He just wanted to be left alone so that he could think properly about everything that had happened that day.

Arthur had found out about his magic.

And just like Will had warned him . . . it turned out that he really was just a servant to Arthur. Their friendship could never outweigh Arthur's taught hatred of magic.

They weren't friends.

Or even anything more than that. And just earlier today, especially after they'd woken up, Merlin had thought that maybe- he thought-

Well, it didn't matter anymore.

And now Merlin was stuck back in Ealdor, with his mother, but without Will, without Gaius, without all the friends he'd made in Camelot, and most importantly, without _Arthur_.

He wondered how he could have ever miscalculated so badly.

Merlin didn't know how long he'd been sitting there when he heard horses. He didn't look up. Half an hour later though, Arthur heavily sat down on the log next to him, crossing his arms over his chest, then putting them back on his knees, and then just sitting there, in silence.

Merlin wiped his tears with his sleeve and cleared his throat.

What was Arthur doing here?

"Why'd you come back?"

Arthur sighed. "Because, Merlin, I don't want to be another friend that you lose today."

Merlin didn't expect that at all. Did that mean that they _were_ friends? That Merlin wasn't just a servant to him?

"I never should have told you to stay behind," Arthur continued, surprising Merlin even more. "It pains me to admit it, but I do need a servant, and although you are the worst one I've ever had, in a way, you were also the best one I could have asked for."

Merlin couldn't believe what he was hearing. A couple of hours ago, Arthur had seemed so . . . cold. Decided. And now he was back here, apologizing?

He looked up at him, eyes wide with disbelief but glad, _so_ glad that this was happening. Whatever hint of a smile that Merlin found on Arthur's lips though, disappeared as soon as Merlin had seen it.

The Arthur he knew, the Arthur that didn't like to reveal how he felt to anyone in the world, was back.

"But quite frankly," he added, "because Morgana would _not_ stop complaining. I don't know what she would have done had I not come back for you."

That made Merlin chuckle.

"Of course, sire," he said.

They were both silent for a moment, when Merlin heard Arthur sigh and speak up. "There's-" Arthur stopped himself, as if deciding if he should say anything at all, and undoubtedly getting Merlin's full attention in the process. He sighed and briefly closed his eyes, before taking a deep breath and pursing his lips. "There is one other reason."

With even more hesitation, Arthur finally placed his hand over Merlin's on his knee. He let his fingers slide down in between Merlin's and squeezed, making Merlin's heart beat so much faster.

Was he . . . ? Did he . . . ?

Arthur cleared his throat. "Because . . . because there is a feast in two days and I'll need someone to polish all the buttons on my best jacket and I don't have the time to go looking for a new servant right now."

Merlin smiled, squeezing Arthur's fingers in between his.

He could never have anticipated such a change in Arthur over merely a couple of hours, but he knew that it must have all been there even before Merlin had revealed his magic and Arthur had told him to stay in Ealdor.

He guessed it was Morgana who he owned for this.

"I'll do my best to polish them well." He nodded, noticing Arthur's flushed cheeks.

He knew that Arthur couldn't admit what he was feeling. Not yet. But he was okay with that. They could work on that later, once they returned to Camelot. Once they returned _home._

For now, Arthur accepting his magic was more than enough for Merlin.

It turned out that they were, after all, each other's destiny.

And that meant that Merlin was happy to wait.

**Author's Note:**

> Really, if I'd had the time, I would have added a bit of Morgana's POV, maybe, (because she knows she also has a bit of magic and that's why she would have realized Merlin had magic too), and I would have included Gwen, and I'd have made it clear why Arthur decided to tell Merlin there was another reason, because I don't know, it just seems a little sudden and fast for me like this. Sorry for that :(
> 
> The title is a little ambiguous btw, it could mean "stay in Ealdor" or "stay with me". I prefer the latter :)
> 
> Also, did anyone else watch season 5 of She-ra? Because the title is a reference to that. I know it's been like a week since it aired, but I still cry about it ;-;


End file.
